FG TD hands back half his salary

A FINE Gael TD who has returned half his salary to the exchequer has urged other politicians to consider a similar action.

First-time TD for Kerry South Brendan Griffin (29) made the manifesto promise when he announced his candidacy in November “the week the IMF came to town”, he said last night.

While every politician’s situation was different he urged others to “consider” a voluntary cut. At a time of national emergency “it would send out a strong message to Irish people if others followed suit”, he said.

He felt it was particularly important to highlight the issue in a week that was bad for politics with the release of the Moriarty report.

“We need to show we are not all the same” and that “many of us are in it for the right reasons, he said. “We are not all in it for personal gain.”

It took five minutes to fill in the form to give up more than €46,000, he said. He promised to do this for every year of his term.

The Castlemaine-based politician leaves him with a “fairly good salary” of €46,000 plus expenses.